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Bullman: Tajani? President of austerity...

"If elected president of the European Parliament, the conservative Antonio Tajani would represent the failed policies of the last seven years in the EU", said S&D Group vice-president Udo Bullmann MEP.

"Tajani is a leading light in the neo-liberal political family that has made austerity a political dogma across Europe. Politicians of the 'ancien regime' like him have defended and enforced the anti-social economic policy that has plunged Europe into the worst economic and social crisis in its history. Years of deep recession, massive unemployment and unacceptable rates of poverty among Europeans are proof of the failure of their policies. Moreover, the EPP family, led by German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble, has tried to kick Greece out of the eurozone, thus putting the entire European project at risk.

"Antonio Tajani, where were you when Schäuble was trying to kick Greece out of the eurozone? Where were you when your group leader, Manfred Weber, obsessively championed the austerity mantra as the lethal recipe for the whole of Europe? You have never spoken out against this and you never will as president of our Parliament.

"Europe is still suffering the brutal consequences of these austerity policies. As Socialists and Democrats, we want a new direction for Europe based on investment, tax justice and social inclusion.

"We don’t need three more years of disastrous neo-liberal economic policies. But this is what Mr Tajani stands for. Our citizens deserve much better than that."